The most important line in your job descriptions

There’s one sentence in your job description that matters the most. 

If you were only allowed to share one line from your job description, this would be the line to share. 

It’s the line that tells people what to do. And it goes like this:

“The purpose of this role is…”

A job adds value

The second part of that sentence describes how this role is going to make the business more successful. 

It does not list a function, like “development” or “sales”. 

It does not say something generic that can be applied to any role, like “to make us better” or “be amazing”. 

It is a full sentence that describes the aspiration of the role and the reason it is being filled. If 10 different people read the sentence, they all need to be able to understand what the role actually is. 

People offer value

You don’t want a team of automatons whose only purpose is to mindlessly perform a list of tasks you have laid out for them. 

You want thinking, proactive, creative people who start with the end in mind: they know what they need to achieve, and they find the best way to get there. 

You want them to be successful in their roles. And for that to happen, they need to know what that success is. 

More people, more value

You only need as many employees as you need. 

But you want to make sure that all together they are more than the sum of their parts. 

By telling people how they bring value, collaboration increases and improves. People have a better understanding of how everyone’s work contributes, and therefore how each job relates to the others. 

A job description about value

Be explicit. 

In your job description, complete the sentences below

• The purpose of this role is to… 
• And it is successful when… 

Good instruction starts with the outcome. 

What next

Do your job titles and job descriptions tell people what they really need to know? Schedule a 30-minute discovery call and let’s find out.